A discussion of the vital problems of lawn making and maintenance P U B L I S H ED S E V E R AL TIMES YEARLY BY O. M. SCOTT & S O NS C O M P A NY - SEEDSMEN February 1931 V ol IV - MARYS VILLE, O H IO ' ~ ~ ~ H N OTT SPEEDWELL A World-Wide Lawn Pest —Can Be Controlled THIS W E ED is not familiar to the average observer, for instance, like plantain and dandelion, and yet it is one of the most abundant species in the weed realm. The whole world is its home and being a perennial, speedwell is a real sticker. Trample it or break the stems at any point with a hoe or mower and all you have done is to start several new plants growing instead of the original one. This pest IT CREEPS. is often called Creeping Speedwell because it lies so close to the earth, rooting at nearly every joint and erecting only its flowering stalks. The leaves are shaped very much like those of Mouse-ear Chickweed and yet they do not form in such thick clusters. The stems are from two to ten inches long, smooth or only slightly hairy, branching on all sides from the root. The lower leaves are opposite, ovate, rounded, nearly smooth; while those on the erect part of the stem are alternate, narrow and be- coming more lance-shaped. In the axils of the leaves sit the tiny flowers. These flowers are pale blue or white, striped with darker color. They are less than a quarter inch broad. Speedwell propagates by seeds as well as by rooting at the joints. The weed is in bloom from April to October and seeds any time from late May until snow covered. The plants of Speedwell are often so small and inconspicuous that they will hardly be noticed until they have com- pletely covered the ground. METHOD OF DESTRUCTION. Speedwell can be completely destroyed by using a solution of sodium chlorate. The same solution and manner of appli- cation apply as in the case of Ground Ivy, which is as follows: One ounce of sodium chlorate per gallon of water on each 100 square feet (10 x 10), provided a pressure sprayer is used. If applied with a sprinkling can a trifle more solu- tion will be required as this method is more wasteful. A thick mat of Speed- well will have entirely stopped the growth of grass so when the Speedwell has been killed the ground will be bare. It will be time to fertilize and re-seed. Almost any drug store handles sodium chlorate and the cost per pound should not exceed fifteen cents. KILLING WEEDS IN WINTER. We are indebted to F. A. Welton of the Ohio Experiment Station for the fol- lowing information: "A few weeds such as Ground Ivy, Speedwell and Heal-all [all have been discussed in LAWN CARE] can be killed by the use of Sodium Chlorate without killing the grass. Moreover they can be killed in winter. Thus the objection to discoloration is reduced to a minimum and at that season the lawn may be cov- ered much of the time with snow. When dandelions, plantain and buckhorn are killed in this way, however, the grass is also killed. over should not be exposed to the ac- cumulation of dust and dirt but should be stored in a covered and preferably a metal container." Thyme-leaved Speedwell (Veronica Serpyllifolia) "Ground Ivy, Speedwell and Heal-all are perennials which, because of their creeping habits, cannot be controlled by hand weeding. In spraying them with Sodium Chlorate use one ounce per gal- lon of water for each one hundred square feet. A pressure spray pump is the most effective means of applying solution. DANGERS OF USING SODIUM CHLORATE. "In the preparation and use of a solu- tion of sodium chlorate, it should not be allowed to come in contact with gloves, shoes, clothing, etc., for if articles like those become saturated and are allowed to dry, they become grave fire hazards. If any is spilled on combustible material, it should be promptly washed off. In the very dilute solution recommended here, however, little or no danger should at- tend left its application. Any residue Lawn Care Index W i th this issue of LAWN CARE you re- ceive an index to the first three volumes (12 issues). A new index will be dis- tributed probably yearly and it will be brought right up-to-date so that previous ones may be destroyed. If as you look over the index you find that your file of bulletins is not complete we suggest you write at once for the missing ones. An Error Corrected TN SEPTEMBER, 1930, last year, the No. 1 government formula for killing ants was in error. Two pounds of sugar would be approximately 1000 instead of 100 grams. Several good friends who know their arithmetic were quite observ- ing and called our attention to the mat- ter. We appreciate their interest. T21 done to When Winter Goes A GREAT V A R I E TY of things are lawns when the spring breezes begin to blow. Some of these things are good for the lawn and some of them only good exercise for the per- son who does them. In a small town like ours, lawns are rolled when you can "bor- row" a roller. There are probably a half dozen of them here and by early summer they have visited just about every home that pretends to have a lawn. But there is a best time for this and other spring lawn tonics and, briefly, here they are: SEEDING. SOW early, preferably while the ground is honeycombed. Then any subsequent freezing and thawing will in- sure the seed proper coverage. Another thing: if you wait until the weather is quite warm your young grass just gets a fair start in life before the hot and usu- ally dry summer sets in. Sometimes the weeds win out. They are better equipped to withstand adversity. Where a lawn has suffered some from the winter or pre- vious fall a reseeding of two pounds of seed per 1000 square feet would be jus- tified. If you sow before the frost is out of the ground raking would not be necessary. FEEDING. Wait until the frost is out of the ground before you use Turf Builder or any other kind of fertilizer. It isn't considered good policy ever to fertilize before April whereas you can sow seed as early as the last of February. The drouth of last summer and fall has left the lawns in most sections with very little vitality. Our 10-6-4 Turf Builder is ideal for reviving them and an appli- cation in early April of ten pounds per 1000 square feet will greatly benefit any lawn. Incidentally Turf Builder is good for feeding trees that are looking un- healthy. (See LAWN CARE for Septem- ber, 1929, page 4.) ROLLING. A stiff clay soil that is in- clined to bake and pack during the sum- mer probably should not be rolled at all. As a matter of fact the rolling will not do much good. On the other hand a light loamy or sandy soil will be much benefited by rolling and the grass which has heaved will be pressed down again. Those who wish to use just the right weight of roller and do the job scien- tifically will find such data on page 4 of L A WN CARE f or F e b r u a r y, 1 9 2 9. Believes in Sweat 1. Sharpen an oak peg tapered pretty thin. 2. Make saturated solution sulfate of iron in three- or four-ounce screw cap bottle. 3. Dip peg in solution. 4. Stab dripping peg down deep into heart of dandelion and let the sun do the rest. 5. After weed has withered and died, mix good soil with grass seed one pound to a bucketful of soil; put a little pinch of mixture in hole left by deceased dan- delion. Repeat ad infernalitum. My recipe for a good lawn is the above, month in and month out. The measure of a good lawn is the gallons of sweat per square yard. C. C. CONNER, 310 Pershing Drive, Parnassus, Pa. The Next Weed CR E E P I NG B U T T E R C UP is t he in weed which will be featured March-April LAWN CARE. N e xt to Speedwell it is most frequently sent in for identification after we pass the very common species. Weeds such as this may be overlooked until they have gained considerable headway, since most of one's weed fighting time is concentrated upon dandelions, crab grass, etc. lac; Charles P. Taft II, attorney; and C. F. Kettering, president General Mo- tors Research Corporation. Fifty cents (less than cost) in stamps, by check, or any way that is convenient, will bring you a binder containing a full set of LAWN CARE bulletins. T h o se who send orders will find it easy to include the 50 cents in their remittances. This Is News "It may interest you to know that a careful application of your Turf Builder kills chickweed and does not destroy the grass. No doubt you are fully aware of this feature." T H O M AS P. ROBBINS, 4518 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. —i— Scott Publications following may be had for the The asking: Scott's Seed Guide, a 72-page book of valuable information for the man who farms. Bent Lawns, an illustrated booklet which tells how to make and maintain a Creeping Bent Lawn. Converting to Creeping Bent, a folder which explains four methods of remak- ing and improving an old lawn by using Bent. Lawns, a small booklet of condensed facts about the making of a new lawn and the improving of an old one. In addition to the above we will send to anyone a full set of the issues of LAWN CARE which have preceded this one. There have been twelve and the following lawn pests have been discussed: Plantain, Crab Grass, Dandelions, Moss, Grubs and Beetles, Chickweed, Buck- horn, Ground Ivy, Yarrow, Earthworms, Heal-all, and Ants. SINCE O UR announcement of last fall that a binder for LAWN CARE was available at cost we have had re- quests for more than two thousand. We now have on hand an additional three thousand binders ready for the spring demand. These binders are made of artificial leather and will look very presentable in your bookcase or on an office desk or reading table. Many of our customers have instructed us to send LAWN CARE complete in a binder to the gardener who cares for their lawns or to some friend who is keenly interested in the subject. To Mr. Walter P. Chrysler, of auto- motive fame, we have just sent a binder at the request of M. J. Carney of the Union Carbide Company, a consistent user of Scott's Seed and Creeping Bent. N ew readers of LAWN CARE since the last issue include King C. Gillette, razor magnate; Harold H. Swift, packer, Alvan Macauley, head of Packard; Orion H. Cheney, banker-author; Thom- as E. Lovejoy, president Manhattan Ins. Co.; Gordon S. Rentschler, president National City Bank of New York; Inglis M. Uppercu, president of Cadil-